Four Dead in Shooting|on Military in Tennessee

(CN) – Four people are dead after a gunman opened fire on two military recruitment offices in Chattanooga, Tenn., in what the city’s mayor of described as “a nightmare.” The gunman, identified as Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, was among those killed, authorties said. His motive remains unclear. During an afternoon press conference officials said Abdulazeez was heavily armed, and evidently bent on killing and wounding as many as possible during his brazen attack. Police said at a 3 p.m. news conference that four victims were killed in the shooting. A Navy reserve center and a separate recruiting center were the gunman’s targets. A Lee Highway location was struck first, followed by an attack on Amnicola Highway. FBI Special Agent Ed Reinhold said all four victims were killed at the Amnicola Highway location. Reinhold said he believes the unidentified shooter lived in the area. “We will treat this like a terrorism investigation until we determine that it is not,” Reinhold said in response to a reporter’s question. The incident began to unfold at about 10:30 a.m. when witnesses say they heard a volley of gunfire and then what sounded like return fire. Shortly afterward, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke tweeted : “Horrific incident in our community. We will release details as they are confirmed. Prayers to all those affected.” Later Berke said he did not know the condition of those that were shot at a Navy ReserveCetner on Amnicola Highway in the city, A police command post has been established near the site, which is a short distance from Chattanooga State Community College. The campus was placed on lock down, and ultimately closed for the day. The U.S. Navy said it is also investigating reports of shots at another military building in the city. Agents from the FBI and ATF are reportedly enroute to the area, which has also been declared a no-fly zone. Eastern Tennessee U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said investigators are treating the shooting as an act of terrorism. “This is a sad day for the United States,” Killian said at the press conference. “We are treating this as an act of domestic terrorism.” President Barack Obama has been briefed on the shooting and will continue to get updates as warranted.